Kite powered conveyance devices are becoming increasingly popular for recreational purposes. By way of example kite surfing, such as depicted in FIG. 1, has rapidly become a popular water sport. In kite surfing, a person stands on a surfboard and grips a control bar which is fastened by kite control lines to opposite sides of a large kite. The person may wear a harness with a spreader bar which is hooked to the control bar. As the kite is blown by the wind, the kite tows the person on the surfboard. In addition to surfboards, other kite powered conveyance devices might include roller skates, in line skates, and bicycles, for example. The following description will generally be with reference to a kite powered surfboard, but the invention is likewise usable with other conveyance devices.
A kite powered conveyance device, such as a surfboard, is often provided with a tether connected to one side of the kite to enable the surfer to depower the kite when desired, as well as to automatically depower the kite in the event the surfer falls or otherwise loses his or her grip on the control bar. It is common for the tether to be connected to a band that the surfer wears around his or her wrist. The force on the tether, due to the wind in the kite, can result in considerable strain and damage to the surfers wrist, arm, and shoulder. In addition, surfers using a kite powered surfboard often perform various acrobatic stunts. These might include jumping into the air and rotating through a complete circle. However, such stunts can result in the kite control lines twisting about each other and in the tether becoming tangled with the kite control lines or becoming wrapped around the hook which hooks the surfer's harness to the kite control bar. Such hazards also can occur if the surfer falls.